ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Southeast Missouri women's tennis (3-6, 0-0 OVC) dropped a 4-3 decision to Western Illinois (8-5, 0-0 Summit) in SEMO's final non-conference meet Tuesday afternoon at Sunset Tennis Center.
 
The Redhawks won four matches (three singles and one doubles) at the dual despite only having five players competing at the meet. 
 
Sophomores Oleksandra Doroshenko and Kseniya Zonova teamed up for the first time in their two years at Southeast. The two Kharkiv, Ukraine natives cruised past Natalia Bravo and Courtney Lubbers, 6-3, at the top doubles position after SEMO lost the third doubles match by default.
 
Freshmen Alessandra Maya Thompson and Kelly Sicha also paired together for the first time in their careers at SEMO. Laura Ballesteros and Cary Milanes outlasted Maya Thompson and Sicha at the third doubles slot, 7-6 (3), to earn the doubles point for the Leathernecks.
 
WIU's lead grew to 2-0 when the competition switched to singles as Western Illinois won sixth singles by default.
 
Doroshenko then put the Redhawks on the board, 1-2, after she beat Bravo, 6-1, 6-3. The victory extended Doroshenko's win streak to three matches and improved her dual record to 5-4.
 
Zonova and Maya Thompson then won back-to-back matches for SEMO to even the dual at 3-3. Zonova won her second straight match this season at second singles over WIU's Courtney Lubbers. Lubbers captured the opening set, 6-1, before Zonova stormed back and took the next two sets, 6-3, 6-3.
 
Maya Thompson also needed three sets to down Laura Ballesteros at the third singles spot. Maya Thompson took the first set, 6-4, before Ballesteros knotted the match at 1-1 with a 6-0 second set. Maya Thompson then won the match when she edged Ballesteros, 6-2, in the third set.
 
The Leathernecks then claimed the dual meet, 4-3, when Mary Bjelica beat Maja Lundell 4-6, 6-4, 7-6.
 
Southeast opens OVC conference play on Sunday, March 18 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. SEMO faces Eastern Kentucky at 11 a.m. in its home opener at the Redhawks Tennis Complex.
 
MATCH-BY-MATCH RESULTS
DOUBLES (order of finish: 3, 1, 2)
Oleksandra Doroshenko/Kseniya Zonova (SEMO) def. Natalia Bravo/Courtney Lubbers (WIU) 6-3
Laura Ballesteros/Cary Milanes (WIU) def. Alessandra Maya Thompson/Kelly Sicha (SEMO) 7-6 (3)
Ana Bjelica/Mary Bjelica (WIU) def. No player/No player (SEMO), by default
 
SINGLES (order of finish: 6, 1, 4, 2, 3, 5)
Oleksandra Doroshenko (SEMO) def. Natalia Bravo (WIU) 6-1, 6-3
Kseniya Zonova (SEMO) def. Courtney Lubbers (WIU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-3
Alessandra Maya Thompson (SEMO) def. Laura Ballesteros (WIU) 6-4, 0-6, 6-2
Ana Bjelica (WIU) def. Kelly Sicha (SEMO) 6-3, 6-2
Mary Bjelica (WIU) def. Maja Lundell (SEMO) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6
Andrea Haines (WIU) def. No player (SEMO), by default